1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of earth boring bits and more particularly to such bits as embodied in rotating bits incorporating diamond cutting elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of diamonds in drilling products is well known. More recently synthetic diamonds both single crystal diamonds (SCD) and polycrystalline diamonds (PCD) have become commercially available from various sources and have been used in such products, with recognized advantages. For example, natural diamond bits effect drilling with a plowing action in comparison to crushing in the case of a roller cone bit, whereas synthetic diamonds tend to cut by a shearing action. In the case of rock formations, for example, it is believed that less energy is required to fail the rock in shear than in compression.
More recently, a variety of synthetic diamond products has become available commercially some of which are available as polycrystalline products. Cyrstalline diamonds preferentially fractures on (111), (110) and (100) planes whereas PCD tends to be isotropic and exhibits this same cleavage but on a microscale and therefore resists catastrophic large scale cleavage failure. The result is a retained sharpness which appears to resist polishing and aids in cutting. Such products are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,913,280; 3,745,623; 3,816,085; 4,104,344 and 4,224,380.
In general, the PCD products are fabricated from synthetic and/or appropriately sized natural diamond crystals under heat and pressure and in the presence of a solvent/catalyst to form the polycrystalline structure. In one form of product, the polycrystalline structures includes sintering aid material distributed essentially in the interstices where adjacent crystals have not bonded together.
In another form, as described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,745,623; 3,816,085; 3,913,280; 4,104,223 and 4,224,380 the resulting diamond sintered product is porous, porosity being achieved by dissolving out the nondiamond material or at least a portion thereof, as disclosed for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,745,623; 4,104,344 and 4,224,380. For convenience, such a material may be described as a porous PCD, as referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,380.
Polycrystalline diamonds have been used in drilling products either as individual compact elements or as relatively thin PCD tables supported on a cemented tungsten carbide (WC) support backings. In one form, the PCD compact is supported on a cylindrical slug about 13.3 mm in diameter and about 3 mm long, with a PCD table of about 0.5 to 0.6 mm in cross section on the face of the cutter. In another version, a stud cutter, the PCD table also is supported by a cylindrical substrate of tungsten carbide of about 3 mm by 13.3 mm in diameter by 26 mm in overall length. These cylindrical PCD table faced cutters have been used in drilling products intended to be used in soft to medium-hard formations.
Individual PCD elements of various geometrical shapes have been used as substitutes for natural diamonds in certain applications on drilling products. However, certain problems arose with PCD elements used as individual pieces of a given carat size or weight. In general, natural diamond, available in a wide variety of shapes and grades, was placed in predefined locations in a mold, and production of the tool was completed by various conventional techniques. The result is the formation of a metal carbide matrix which holds the diamond in place, this matrix sometimes being referred to as a crown, the latter attached to a steel blank by a metallurgical and mechanical bond formed during the process of forming the metal matrix. Natural diamond is sufficiently thermally stable to withstand the heating process in metal matrix formation.
In this procedure above described, the natural diamond could be either surface-set in a predetermined orientation, or impregnated, i.e., diamond is distributed throughout the matrix in grit or fine particle form.
With early PCD elements, problems arose in the production of drilling products because PCD elements especially PCD tables on carbide backing tended to be thermally unstable at the temperature used in the furnacing of the metal matrix bit crown, resulting in catastrophic failure of the PCD elements if the same procedures as were used with natural diamonds were used with them. It was believed that the catastrophic failure was due to thermal stress cracks from the expansion of residual metal or metal alloy used as the sintering aid in the formation of the PCD element.
Brazing techniques were used to fix the cylindrical PCD table faced cutter into the matrix using temperature unstable PCD products. Brazing materials and procedures were used to assure that temperatures were not reached which would cause catastrophic failure of the PCD element during the manufacture of the drilling tool. The result was that sometimes the PCD components separated from the metal matrix, thus adversely affecting performance of the drilling tool.
With the advent of thermally stable PCD elements, typically porous PCD material, it was believed that such elements could be surface-set into the metal matrix much in the same fashion as natural diamonds, thus simplifying the manufacturing process of the drill tool, and providing better performance due to the fact that PCD elements were believed to have advantages of less tendency to polish, and lack of inherently weak cleavage planes as compared to natural diamond.
Significantly, the current literature relating to porous PCD compacts suggests that the element be surface-set. The porous PCD compacts, and those said to be temperature stable up to about 1200.degree. C. are available in a variety of shapes, e.g., cylindrical and triangular. The triangular material typically is about 0.3 carats in weight, measures 4 mm on a side and is about 2.6 mm thick. It is suggested by the prior art that the triangular porous PCD compact be surface-set on the face with a minimal point exposure, i.e., less than 0.5 mm above the adjacent metal matrix face for rock drills. Larger one per carat synthetic triangular diamonds have also become available, measuring 6 mm on a side and 3.7 mm thick, but no recommendation has been made as to the degree of exposure for such a diamond. In the case of abrasive rock, it is suggested by the prior art that the triangular element be set completely below the metal matrix. For soft nonabrasive rock, it is suggested by the prior art that the triangular element be set in a radial orientation with the base at about the level of the metal matrix. The degree of exposure recommended thus depended on the type of rock formation to be cut.
The difficulties with such placements are several. The difficulties may be understood by considering the dynamics of the drilling operation. In the usual drilling operation, be it mining, coring, or oil well drilling, a fluid such as water, air or drilling mud is pumped through the center of the tool, radially outwardly across the tool face, radially around the outer surface (gage) and then back up the bore. The drilling fluid clears the tool face of cuttings and to some extent cools the cutter face. Where there is insufficient clearance between the formation cut and the bit body, the cuttings may not be cleared from the face, especially where the formation is soft or brittle. Thus, if the clearance between the cutting surface-formation interface and the tool body face is relatively small and if no provision is made for chip clearance, there may be bit clearing problems.
Other factors to be considered are the weight on the drill bit, normally the weight of the drill string and principally the weight of the drill collar, and the effect of the fluid which tends to lift the bit off the bottom. It has been reported, for example, that the pressure beneath a diamond bit may be as much as 1000 psi greater than the pressure above the bit, resulting in a hydraulic lift, and in some cases the hydraulic lift force exceeds 50% of the applied load while drilling.
One surprising observation made in drill bits having surface-set thermally stable PCD elements is that even after sufficient exposure of the cutting face has been achieved, by running the bit in the hole and after a fraction of the surface of the metal matrix was abraded away, the rate of penetration often decreases. Examination of the bit indicates unexpected polishing of the PCD elements. Usually ROP can be increased by adding weight to the drill string or replacing the bit. Adding weight to the drill string is generally objectionable because it increases stress and wear on the drill rig. Further, tripping or replacing the bit is expensive since the economics of drilling in normal cases are expressed in cost per foot of penetration. The cost calculation takes into account the bit cost plus the rig cost including trip time and drilling time divided by the footage drilled.
Clearly, it is desirable to provide a drilling tool having thermally stable PCD elements and which can be manufactured at reasonable costs and which will perform well in terms of length of bit life and rate of penetration.
It is also desirable to provide a drilling tool having thermally stable PCD elements so located and positioned in the face of the tool as to provide cutting without a long run-in period, and one which provides a sufficient clearance between the cutting elements and the formation for effective flow of drilling fluid and for clearance of cuttings.
Still another advantage is the provision of a drilling tool in which thermally stable PCD elements of a defined predetermined geometry are so positioned and supported in a metal matrix as to be effectively locked into the matrix in order to provide reasonably long life of the tooling by preventing loss of PCD elements other than by normal wear.
It is also desirable to provide a drilling tool having thermally stable PCD elements so affixed in the tool that it is usuable in specific formations without the necessity of significantly increased drill string weight, bit torque, or significant increases in drilling fluid flow or pressure, and which will drill at a higher ROP than conventional fits under the same drilling conditions.